News

Cook in Tuscany, a Tuscan culinary tour, was recently named one of the top 15 Foodie Destinations by USA Today. Haymarket, Va.-based owners, George and Linda Meyers spend six months of the year in Tuscany, where they host their worldwide guests on cooking tours in authentic Tuscan kitchens, and guide guests on personalized Tuscan historic tours and truffle hunts. For more information, go to www.cookintuscany.com.

More than 20,000 Legos were donated to the Autism Society of Northern Virginia by local LearningRx brain training centers in Leesburg, Fairfax, Reston and Vienna, Va., and LearningRx directors committed to trekking a 10-foot “LEGO® Walk of Fire” in bare feet upon meeting their 20K Lego goal. For more information, go to www.learningrx.com.

“We’re grateful to the community to help us support autism awareness and surpassed our Lego goal,” said Maureen Loftus, executive director of LearningRx of Reston and Vienna, Va. “Our Lego Walk of Fire was everything you’d expect…it was painful, but fun…the key is to walk quickly,” said Loftus.

ASNV provides LEGO®- based activities at various campaigns, but currently have to rent LEGO®s for these events. With enough LEGO®s, ASNV could have their own set of LEGO®s to be used for all of their autism outreach programs.

The rankings, which highlight top-performing public schools on a state and national level, had BASIS Scottsdale as #2 in the nation for the second consecutive year, as well as the #1 charter school in the nation and the #1 high school in Arizona. BASIS Tucson North was #3 nationally, the #2 charter school nationally, and the #2 high school in Arizona. BASIS Oro Valley is the #6 high school in the nation, the #3 charter in the U.S. and #3 high school in Arizona.

Local LearningRx brain training centers are looking for LEGO®s; lots of them for the Autism Society of Northern Virginia, where LEGO® building is a regular part of their community events. Northern Virginia LearningRx centers in Leesburg, Fairfax, Reston, and Vienna have a goal to collect 20,000 LEGO®s in total, and upon reaching that goal, center owners commit to trekking a 10-foot “LEGO® Walk of Fire” in bare feet. For more information, go to www.learningrx.com.

ASNV provides LEGO®- based activities at various campaigns, but currently have to rent LEGO®s for these events. With enough LEGO®s, ASNV could have their own set of LEGO®s to be used for all of their outreach programs.

Carmello’s and Monza of Historic Manassas, Va. are gearing up for the annual Historic Manassas Restaurant week, Mar. 7 to Mar. 13. Carmello’s will feature a 3-course menu for $35 (inclusive) and Monza offers 2-courses for $25 (inclusive). For more information, call 703-368-5522 or go to www.carmellos.com.

Carmello’s Restaurant Week menu offers 3-courses from the following selections:

In preparation of the opening of BASIS Independent McLean, (which is Tysons Corner’s first prek-12th grade school), Basis.ed’s co-founder Michael Block will speak at an introductory session on Mon., Feb. 22 at the Sheraton Tysons Hotel at 7 p.m., located at 8661 Leesburg Pike in Vienna, Va. The Washington Post recently ranked BASIS Oro Valley in Arizona the number one most challenging high school in America and now that private school model is coming to McLean, Va. To register, go to http://mclean.basisindependent.com or call 703.854.1253.

Block was recognized not only as a top educator by Noodle, an education website helping parents and students make better decisions about learning, but Noodle also noted Block for ‘creating educational institutions that combined the rigors of Asian and European schooling with the American system’s emphasis on creativity and originality.’

School registration is underway for Tyson Corner’s new school, BASIS Independent McLean. BASIS Independent McLean will be Tysons Corner, Va.’s first, private school for pre-k to 12th grade. Enrollment is open now through Aug. 1, 2016. School will be located at 8000 Jones Branch Drive in McLean, Va. For more enrollment information, go to http://mclean.basisindependent.com or call 703.854.1253.

“We’ve have a global marketplace, a global economy‑‑‑and our children’s education should meet that global challenge, which is exactly what we’re doing at BASIS Independent, teaching our next generation to be globally competitive,” said Sean Aiken, head of school of BASIS Independent McLean, Va. “Whether it’s our select teacher recruitment, foreign language or critical thinking curriculum, BASIS Independent continually raises the bar for students to learn more,” said Aiken.